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DE RUEHNR #2552/01 3100041
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O 050041Z NOV 08
FM AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
TO RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
INFO RUCNSOM/SOMALIA COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
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RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 7407

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NAIROBI 002552 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR AF/E AND A/S FRAZER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL EAID PINS SO
SUBJECT: SOMALIA - PRESIDENT YUSUF AND AMBASSADOR DISCUSS 
SECURITY AND TFG HARMONY 
 
REF: A. NAIROBI 2469 
     ¶B. DJIBOUTI 840 
 
NAIROBI 00002552  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary:  At a meeting with the Ambassador on the 
eve of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development's 
Somalia Summit (ref a), Transitional Federal Government 
(TFG) President Abdullahi Yusuf welcomed, and pledged 
support for the Djibouti Agreement's cease-fire and unity 
government declaration (ref b).  Citing the need for 
improved security, Yusuf hoped the agreement might 
encourage the UN soon to approve a PKO for Somalia.  Yusuf 
said the Ethiopians had troops on hand if needed, and 
Kenya had promised to train Somali police and soldiers if a 
donor would pay (Note: Kenya has asked the United States 
to fund the training, but has not presented us with a 
plan).  He urged Washington to lobby Arab countries to fund 
more international stabilization troops (UN or otherwise) 
for Somalia.   Yusuf said his dealings with Prime Minister 
Nur Hassan Hussein had improved, but his relationship with 
Parliamentary Speaker Sheikh Aden Mohammed Nur "Madobe" 
had deteriorated over parliament's reaction to the 
August Addis Ababa agreement. End Summary. 
 
YUSUF SUPPORTS DJIBOUTI AGREEMENT, HOPES FOR INT'L TROOPS... 
--------------------------------------------- --------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) On October 26, Ambassador met with TFG 
President Yusuf on the eve of the IGAD summit in Nairobi 
(ref a).  The Ambassador stressed that the IGAD summit's 
outcome should complement the cease-fire and unity 
government agreements reached in Djibouti (ref b). 
 
¶3.  (SBU) President Yusuf said the news from Djibouti was 
indeed good.  He worried, however, that "opposition 
moderates," i.e., ARS, couldn't control al-Shabaab (Note: 
Possibly showing his age, or disconnectedness, Yusuf 
struggled to recall the name of the opposition ARS, 
or Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia, and had to 
be prompted by his staff).  Al-Shabaab would try to prevent 
the Djibouti Agreement's implementation, he said, but he 
predicted the Somali people would support peace.  He 
promised to attend future rounds of TFG - ARS peace talks. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Ever the fighter, President Yusuf said he needed 
more troops to deal with al-Shabaab. Prime Minister Meles 
allegedly had promised 5,000 more, if needed.  Yusuf also 
hoped African countries would volunteer more troops for 
AMISOM. Yusuf noted positively Kenya's offer to train 
10,000 Somali police and soldiers (Note: The Government of 
Kenya has asked the United States to fund the training. 
Despite repeated requests, including by the Ambassador, 
Kenya has yet to produce a training program and budget 
for us to review).  Yusuf suggested Washington lobby Arab 
countries, specifically Libya and Qatar, to support AMISOM 
and Ethiopian troop increases, or to pay for a UN force. 
He hoped the cease-fire might speed UN consideration of a 
peace-keeping force and a change in AMISOM's mandate, so 
it could play a greater stabilizing role. 
 
...BUT TFG LEADERS STILL SQUABBLING 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Yusuf said his relationship with Prime 
Minister Nur Hassan Hussein had improved since the two 
signed an agreement in Addis Ababa in August. 
However, Yusuf criticized Speaker of Parliament 
Nur for allowing parliament to challenge reinstatement of 
10 cabinet members, as agreed in the Addis accord.  Yusuf 
said the Speaker had acted like a "dictator" for defying 
a lawfully reached agreement, the constitution, and 
Transitional Federal Charter. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) Comment:  President Yusuf appeared at ease and in 
good health, though he told us he would travel to London on 
November 3 for regularly scheduled medical treatment.  The 
 
NAIROBI 00002552  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
Ambassador encouraged him to return to Mogadishu as soon as 
possible to support the cease-fire.  Yusuf's support for 
the Djibouti Agreement is critical to its success. Yusuf 
probably sees a successful cease-fire both as a means to 
isolate al-Shabaab and as a step closer to the arrival of 
international troops.  We asked Yusuf to work better with 
the Speaker of Parliament; we've subsequently learned from 
our contacts that his relationship with the Prime Minister 
may not as amiable as Yusuf indicated.  End comment. 
RANNEBERGER